Tube socket



April 1952 s. M. DEL CAMP 2,595,188

TUBE SOCKET Filed May 7, 1949 lNvENToR: Scumom: M. DEL CAMP,

BY Wi e. 0

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 29, 1952 TUBE SOCKET Scipione M. Del Camp, Maywood, Ill.,assignor to Cinch Manufacturing Corporation, Chicago, Ill., acorporation of Illinois Application May 7, 1949, Serial No. 92,061

5 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to tube sockets. such as sockets forradio. and like pronged tubes and appliances, and aims generally toimprove the construction of existing sockets as well as the contactstherefor.

One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of aminiature tube socket which is particularly adapted for use with printedcircuits.

A further objects of the invention is the provision of a socket whichmay be of one-piece molded construction and in which the terminals ofthe contact extend radially outwardly from the socket body.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a contactterminal in which the end of the terminal is split to form integral tabsadapted to be bent so as to lie on opposite sides of a printed circuitchassis.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent. to persons skilled in the art from a consideration of theattached drawings and annexed specification illustrating and describinga preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the socket mounted on a printed circuitchassis;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the device taken on theline 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the device of Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the device of Fig.1;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the contact terminal isformed;

Fig. 6 is a front view of the completed terminal;

, Fig. '7 is a rear View of the completed terminal; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of. the terminal.

Referring to the drawings, the socket member may be molded of suitabledielectric material, for example, a phenolic condensation product, andcomprises a body portion In having a central aperture H for thereception of a sleeve l2. The sleeve I 2 is preferably of metal andserves the dual function of a magneticv shield and of an attaching meansfor securing the socket to a supporting part M which may comprise aradio or like printed circuit chassis plate.

The upper surface of the body portion H) is provided with a series ofprong-receiving apertures I 5 which are suitably arranged and spaced inmatching configuration to the prongs of a tube to be mounted in thesocket, and through which the tube prongs or leads may pass freely aswill be understood in the art.

The body of the socket I0 is formed with a like series ofcontact-receiving openings or bores 16, preferably of the same diameteras the apertures l5 and disposed coaxially with and below the apertures15. Said openings or bores l6 are designed to receive the socket contactmembers H which are in electrical contact with the tube prongs or leads,and preferably stop somewhat short of the bottom face of the socket bodyIt) to form bottom partitions l8. The partitions I8 are designed tosupport the main body portions of the contact members and are providedwith slits or openings l9 through which the end portions of the contactmembers are threaded as will be more apparent hereinafter.

Thecontact member I"! is advantageously made from a single strip ofsuitable conducting metal cut in the form of a blank, as shown in Fig.5, and then shaped in any suitable manner to form a split tubular bodyportion or sleeve 20 and terminal contact tabs 2| and 22. The bodyportion 20 is preferably slotted at its upper end, as at 23, to form aplurality of laterally yielding sections 24, each of the sections 24being pressed inwardly, as at 25, to provide a constricted throatsection 28. It will be apparent that when a tube prong is inserted intothe constricted throat portion 26 the laterally yielding sections 24will be forced apart and will irictionally engage the prong to hold itin place and make electrical contact therewith.

The terminal tabs 2| and. 22 extend outwardly from the lower edge of thebody portion 20 in prolongation thereof and are adapted to be threadedthrough the slits l 9 in the bottom partitions I8 and then bent at rightangles on opposite sides of the supporting part M.

The supporting part I4 is exemplified herein as a portion of a radiochassis of the so-called printed circuit type and, as shown moreparticularly in. Figs. 1 to 3, comprises an insulating panel 27 having.an aperture 28 for alignment with the central aperture I l of the bodyportion HI and a plurality of apertures 29 conforming in number andarrangement to the prongs of the tube member to be used with the socket,and each adapted to receive one of the terminal tabs of the contactmembers ll. On both sides 30 and 3| of the panel 21- are applied aplurality of conducting strips 32 and 33. The metal strips 32 and 33 arepreferably formed by spraying or painting metal particles on the panelin accordance with the process well known in the art. The strips 32 and33 are located on the panel in accordance with a predetermined circuitlayout, but have their ends 34 and 35 disposed in predeterminedpositions with relation to the terminal tabs 2| and 22 of the contactmembers when the socket is secured to the panel.

In assembling the device the contact members are placed in the bores ISwith the terminal tabs 2| and 22 thereof threaded through the slits IQof the bottom partitions IS. The tabs 2! are then bent outwardly atright angles along 1 the bottom of the body portion 10 and radiallythereof so as to be in proper position for contacting the conductingstrips 32 on the top of the panel 21. The terminal tabs 22 are thenthreaded through the apertures 29 and bent outwardly radially againstthe bottom of the panel 21 so that each tab 22 will come into contactwith its corresponding conducting strip 33. The socket is then securedto the panel by upsetting the ends of the sleeve 12 in grooves 35. and31 located respectively in the top of the socket in and in the bottom ofthe panel 21. The ends of the terminal tabs are then soldered to theirrespective conducting strips to complete the assembly.

From the above description it will be apparent that the presentinvention provides a highly effective, inexpensive arrangement of thesocket unit, circuits and supporting panel. The invention presentsparticularly a simple and efiicient method of effecting electricalengagement of the tube-engaging contacts with the electrical circuit ofthe radio set.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, I do not intend to be limited to the details thereof as thescope of the invention is best defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A socket installation comprising a supporting member and a socketmember, means secur ing the socket member to the supporting member, aplurality of bores in said socket member, eachof said bores having abottom wall provided with a slotted opening, said supporting memberhaving a plurality of openings therethrough aligned with the slottedopenings in said bottom walls, contact members disposed in said boreseach having a pair of contact tabs extending through said slottedopenings, one contact tab of each pair being bent outwardly along thebottom of said socket member to lie between the socket member and thesupporting member, the other contact tab of each pair extending throughthe openings in said supporting member and being bent outwardlythereagainst to lie on the opposite side of said member from said firstmentioned tabs.

2. A socket installation as set forth in claim 1 including printedcircuits on opposite sides of said supporting member and havingelectrical contact with said tabs.

3. In an electrical socket installation, in combination with asupporting panel provided with a series of contact-receiving aperturesand having printed electrical circuit conductors on opposite sidesthereof one end of which terminates adjacent said apertures; of a socketmember adapted to be secured to said supporting panel and provided witha plurality of contact-receiving bores,

adapted to be aligned with said contact-receiving panel apertures, eachof said socket bores having a bottom wall provided with a restrictedopening connecting said bores and contact-receiving panel apertures, aprong receiving contact member disposed in each of said bores and eachprovided with a tab extending longitudinally from one end thereof, saidtab being of sufficient length to be extended through said restrictedbottom wall openings and said contact-receiving panel apertures andadapted for soldered connection with one of said printed panel circuitconnectors.

4. In an electrical socket installation, in combination with asupporting panel provided with a series of contact-receiving aperturesand having printed electrical circuit conductors on opposite sidesthereof one end of which terminates adjacent said apertures; of a socketmember adapted to be secured to said supporting panel and provided witha plurality of contact-receiving bores, adapted to be aligned with saidcontact-receiving panel apertures, each of said socket bores having abottom wall provided with a restricted opening connecting said bores andcontact-receiving panel apertures, a prong-receiving contact memberdisposed in each of said bores and each provided with a tab extendinglongitudinally from one end thereof, said tab being of sufficient lengthto be extended through said restricted bottom wall openings and saidcontactreceiving panel apertures and being longitudinally divided forsoldered connection to printed circuit conductors on opposite sides ofsaid panel.

5. In an electrical socket installation, in combination with asupporting panel provided with a series of contact-receiving aperturesand having printed electrical circuit conductors on opposite sidesthereof one end of which terminates adjacent said apertures; of a socketmember adapted to be secured to said supporting panel and provided witha plurality of contact-receiving bores-adapted to be aligned with saidcontact-receiving panel apertures, each of said socket bores having abottom wall provided with a restricted opening connecting said bores andcontact-receiving panel apertures, a tubular prong-receiving contactmounted in each of said bores, said contact provided with a solderingtab extending longitudinally beyond one end of said tubular contactalong one side thereof and being of sufiicient length to be extendedthrough said restricted bottom wall openings and said contactreceivingpanel apertures and adapted for soldered connection with one of saidprinted panel circuit connectors.

SCIPIONE M. DEL CAMP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

